Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

Here's a link for those who are interested;

http://www.softmaker.com/en/

What does everyone think? At the moment I'm cool on the idea of upgrading to it (I have a paid-for copy of Office 2016), especially for £44.99. I didn't like the ribbon (a new feature in Office 2018) when it was introduced in Microsoft Office, though it can be turned off in Softmaker.

rockedge · Posted: Wed 07 Feb 2018, 09:31 Post subject:

I have been using the free 2016 and 2018 Beta... i like it. Reminds me of StarOffice back in the day... also from Germany.... Softmaker runs great on my Puppies.

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

There doesn't seem to be an autosave function in Textmaker 2018 (I can't find one in the manual).

I've just lost about a quarter of an hour's work when the program crashed (or I closed it accidentally) ... no major harm done as I was able to reinstate it, but it would definitely deter me from purchasing the program. I probably need to check with the Softmaker forum about whether I'm right about this though.

rockedge · Posted: Sun 11 Feb 2018, 15:13 Post subject:

gee I just ran across the autosave on and off I think..... but can not find it again!

jrb · Posted: Wed 14 Feb 2018, 09:58 Post subject:

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

I'm disappointed with Softmaker at the moment. I tried to install my copy of Office 2016, which I've registered and paid for, and was told it had been used on too many devices (not so; I only have the one device, the computer in my signature) and I should contact Softmaker for support. I've done so twice now in the last week and they have yet to respond.

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

I've just heard from the Softmaker team and they've reset my product key so I can use Office 2016 again. Took them a week but they did it, so all is well again.

Mike Walsh · Joined: 28 Jun 2014 Posts: 5627 Location: King's Lynn, UK.

Hiya, Colonel.

So; what's the difference between Office & FreeOffice.....apart from the latter being, as its title suggests, 'free'? I gotta confess, no way would I shell out for the paid version.....not when the free version works as well as it does (and is pretty much replacing LO for me throughout the kennels.)

For anyone who's interested, I've just released the new Puppy packages for FreeOffice 2018, here.

Is the paid version really worth the outlay?

Mike. Wink

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

Hi Mike,

I got Office 2016 at a good price (about £18 if I remember rightly), and for me it was and still is worth it. It has better dictionaries than Free Office, can save documents in the latest version of Word, and has tabbed editing (like tabbed browsing in Firefox). It also has a built-in file manager, though I've never used it.

As you say though Free Office does most of the things the full office suite does, and for many people those advantages are marginal. Free Office 2018 appears to write documents in Office 2016 format, which I think should be enough for almost everybody.

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

Hi everybody. A quick update; Softmaker are once again offering their office suite at a much reduced price, on download (£17.99 for the standard version, £25.99 for the professional one with Berlitz language dictionaries) to anyone registered with them as using Free Office. I've just ordered my copy (of Standard) now.

There are only a limited number of copies left (1024 when I last looked), so if you're interested it's best to get your order in quickly.

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 2125

Another update. Softmaker's celebrating its 30th anniversary in business this year and has made a special anniversary edition of its office suite, with additional features;

https://www.softmaker.com/en/

(P.S. This is the full office suite, which you have to pay for; I don't know if they have an anniversary version planned for Free Office).